Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IAN)

Introduction

Inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia is a technique of dental anesthesia used to produce anesthesia of the mandibular teeth, gingival tissues of the mandible and the lower lip.

The proper use of local anesthesia techniques and pain management are indispensable for successful dental treatment. Although inferior dental anesthesia is a routine block injection administered regularly in dental practice, failure to achieve satisfactory levels of analgesia are noticed in few cases2.

Failure of Anesthesia

Complications

Hematoma
Trismus
Facial paralysis

1. Subjective symptoms – Tingling and numbness of lower lip and when the lingual nerve is affected, the tip of the tongue.
2. Objective symptoms – Instrumentation necessary to demonstrate absence of pain sensation.